Villages · Moselle
1 Rodemack
The medieval village was once the domain of the abbey of Fulda in the ninth century, then a lordly domain in the twelfth century.
View full page →What to see in Lorraine in 4 days
Lorraine is a land of royal squares, fortresses, forests, lakes and memories of the First World War. This itinerary offers four days between Nancy, Metz, the Meuse and the Vosges.
Nancy, Metz and the art of the city
Nancy is famous for Place Stanislas, an eighteenth-century ensemble listed as World Heritage, as well as for the École de Nancy and Art Nouveau. Metz charms with its Gothic cathedral and remarkable stained glass and its old yellow-stone centre.
These two towns each have a strong identity and complement each other. They are explored on foot and offer many museums, parks and markets.
Fortresses and remembrance
Lorraine is a border territory, marked by military history. Citadels, forts and defence lines recall the conflicts that crossed it. The Verdun area, in the Meuse, preserves many memorial sites of the First World War.
Visiting these places is often moving. Allow time and suitable equipment, and respect the solemn character of the sites.
Forests, lakes and mountains
The Vosges offer forests, lakes, waterfalls and rounded summits, the ballons. Spa towns such as Plombières-les-Bains and Vittel recall the nineteenth-century taste for taking the waters. Mountain roads and trails allow long walks.
The Lorraine regional nature park and the lakes of the Meuse are also lovely destinations for nature lovers.
Itinerary tips
Four days let you combine towns, fortresses and nature. Group visits by area: Nancy and its region, Metz and the Moselle, the Meuse and Verdun, the Vosges.
The itinerary below groups the best-rated sites in the catalogue by proximity. Adapt it to your wishes, and keep some slack for country roads.
Our day-by-day itinerary
The map shows the numbered stops in visiting order, with one colour per day. The line follows the roads where available; otherwise it joins the stops as the crow flies. Distances and times are approximate (by car, without traffic).
Day 1 — Rodemack to Saint-Quirin
This day brings together 3 sites close to each other: villages and natural wonders. Allow half an hour to an hour and a half per site, plus travel time.
Natural wonders · Moselle
2 l'Arche d'Erbsenfelsen
Overlooking the Hanau pond, a remarkable rock forming a natural bridge 30 metres high. The Erbsenfelsen is one of the most beautiful rocks of the northern Vosges, spreading over a length of 450 metres.
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Villages · Moselle
3 Saint-Quirin
On the heights, an archaeological site has uncovered important Gallo-Roman remains of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd centuries, witnesses of the ancient culture of the summits.
View full page →Day 2 — Grottes de la Falouse to Domrémy, le pays de Jeanne
This day brings together 4 sites close to each other: towns and cities, caves and villages. It passes through Metz and Nancy. Allow half an hour to an hour and a half per site, plus travel time.
Driving for the day: about 197.4 km, or 2 h 57 behind the wheel in total (excluding visits).
Caves · Meuse
4 Grottes de la Falouse
The Meuse describes a great curve here, bordered on its left bank by 400 m of limestone quarry face pierced by about fifteen underground galleries, near the village of Belleray.
View full page →↓ 80.3 km · about 1 h 03 by car to the next stop
Towns & cities · Metz
5 Metz
Prefecture of the Moselle built in golden Jaumont stone, at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille, dominated by the cathedral of Saint-Étienne.
View full page →↓ 58.2 km · about 52 min by car to the next stop
Towns & cities · Nancy
6 Nancy
Former capital of the Dukes of Lorraine, between the UNESCO-listed Place Stanislas and the Porte de la Craffe, the monumental fortified entrance of the old town.
View full page →↓ 58.9 km · about 1 h 02 by car to the next stop
Villages · Vosges
7 Domrémy, le pays de Jeanne
The Domrémy-la-Pucelle site is one of the major tourist hubs of the western Vosges, interacting with the other historic sites of the area.
View full page →Day 3 — Lac de Gérardmer to Champ de Roches
This day brings together 6 sites close to each other: lakes, waterfalls and natural wonders. It passes through Gérardmer. Allow half an hour to an hour and a half per site, plus travel time.
Lakes · Gérardmer
8 Lac de Gérardmer
The largest natural lake in the Vosges, Lac de Gérardmer occupies the heart of the resort that bears its name. Swimming, sailing and walks around its shores make it one of the most frequented destinations of the Vosges massif.
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Waterfalls · Vosges
9 Saut des Cuves
A little path has been laid out along the Vologne, which makes several falls, the largest of which is called the Saut des Cuves.
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Lakes · Vosges
10 Lac de Lispach et Tourbieres
This lake, a lake peat bog, with an area of 10 ha, lies at an altitude of 900 m. A very well laid-out path lets you go round it.
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Waterfalls · Vosges
11 Cascade de Charlemagne à Xonrupt Longemer dans les Vosges
The Charlemagne waterfall is easy to reach: after Xonrupt-Longemer near Gérardmer, take the direction of Lac de Retournemer on the D67. The waterfall is at the bridge on the tarmac road.
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Lakes · Vosges
12 Le Lac de Blanchemer
With the same surface area as Lac des Corbeaux, Lac de Blanchemer will bring you calm and tranquillity.
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Natural wonders · Vosges
13 Champ de Roches
It lies between Gérardmer and Granges-sur-Vologne. An imposing moraine flow 500 m long, the Granges-sur-Vologne rock field, spreading at 740 metres' altitude, is the remnant of an ancient glacier that…
View full page →Day 4 — Cascade du Géhard to Sources de la Moselle
This day brings together 3 sites close to each other: waterfalls and natural wonders. Allow half an hour to an hour and a half per site, plus travel time.
Waterfalls · Vosges
14 Cascade du Géhard
The waters of the Géhard swirl in a narrow gorge bordered by steep rocks. You can discover "giants' kettles", water holes carved in the rocks by the torrent.
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Waterfalls · Vosges
15 Cascade de la Pissoire (Haut du Tôt - Vosges)
The waterfall is visible after 30 minutes' walk on a pleasant path. However you will need good footwear as the second part of the path is rocky.
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Natural wonders · Vosges
16 Sources de la Moselle
The Moselle rises at about 900 m altitude at the Col de Bussang, on the western slope of the crystalline Vosges; it first heads north-west, passing through Épinal and Toul.
View full page →When to go
Spring, summer and autumn are the most favourable. Summer is ideal for lakes and forests. Winter is cold, with much-loved Christmas markets in Nancy and Metz.
Getting around
A car is practical for linking the scattered sites. Nancy and Metz are explored on foot. Vosges mountain roads are slower. Find out about road conditions in winter.
Our tips
- Pack warm clothes in every season.
- Alternate towns, forests and memorial sites to vary the visits.
- Taste the specialities: quiche lorraine, mirabelle plums, Commercy madeleines.
- Respect places of remembrance: they call for time and reflection.
If you have more time
Villages · Meurthe-et-Moselle
La Place Stanislas, trésor de l'Unesco
Place Stanislas, Place de la Carrière and Place d'Alliance have been inscribed since 1983 as UNESCO World Heritage.
Castles · Meurthe-et-Moselle
Château de Prény
The château de Prény is a medieval fortress at Prény; it was the last stronghold of the dukes of Lorraine facing the bishops of Metz.
Natural wonders · Vosges
Le Hohneck
The Hohneck peaks at 1,363 metres in the commune of La Bresse and is one of the highest summits of the Vosges massif, often presented as the high point of the Vosges département.
Waterfalls · Vosges
Cascades de Tendon
The Tendon waterfalls comprise a small and a large fall, linked by a marked forest path in the heart of the Vosges.
Natural wonders · Moselle
Rocher de Dabo
An extraordinary pink sandstone spur 650 metres high rises in the heart of the Vosges forest. This natural belvedere offers an extraordinary and unique panorama over the whole region.
Waterfalls · Vosges
Cascade de Faymont
A long vertical fall at the foot of a granite rock, near Le Val-d'Ajol.
Tous les sites : Meurthe-et-MoselleTous les sites : MoselleTous les sites : MeuseTous les sites : Vosges
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